Otherwise, how can we, who are from the earth and fashioned from clay, as it is written (Job 33:6), be called the kindred of the Master of all, as Paul says: "Being the offspring of God" (Acts 17:29)? It is, of course, beyond dispute that we became kin to Him according to the flesh in the mystery of Christ's Incarnation. But the truth of this can also be seen in another respect.
By thinking seriously and reasoning about what is pleasing to Him, and that one must live piously, we shall be called sons of the God who is over all. By directing our mind, insofar as we can, toward what pleases Him, we thus show ourselves truly kin to Him by likeness and exact resemblance to Him.
That God accepts as kinship likeness and exact resemblance in works or character, we learn clearly by entering into the sacred words and examining the divine Scripture. Thus, in the days of Jeremiah the prophet (Jer 29:24), there appeared a certain Elamite named Shemaiah, a false prophet, belching forth from his own belly, as it is written, and not from the mouth of God (Jer 23:16). Since there was also a great multitude of other false witnesses and false prophets, who were leading the people astray and drawing them to what was unseemly, the Master of all, God, was justly indignant at last.
Then, after saying many things about Shemaiah and declaring clearly what punishment he would undergo for his insolence, He adds at the end: "I will visit Shemaiah and his offspring, those who do as he does" (Jer 29:32). Do you not notice that He sees kinship in identical actions? Otherwise, how would He who knows righteous judgments punish together with Shemaiah his offspring according to the flesh, if they were not like him in character regarding evil conduct? Yet He speaks clearly through the prophet Ezekiel: "The soul that sins shall die" (Ezek 18:4).
Therefore, lest anyone think any such thing about Him, after the word "offspring" He immediately added, "those who do as he does," defining kinship by sameness of deeds. We can also see the truth of what has been said in the Jews themselves, if we recall the words of John, I mean the holy Baptist. Declaring vain their boasting in kinship with Abraham, he says: "Do not say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for God is able from these stones to raise up seed for Abraham" (Mt 3:9).
Since it had been said to him by God, "Multiplying, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven" (Gen 22:17), the Jewish people, relying of course on the truthfulness of the One who promised, thought highly of themselves. They hoped that in no way and at no time would they be deprived of kinship with their forefather, so that the promise might be preserved.
But blessed John the Baptist destroyed this hope of theirs. He clearly says that "God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham" (Mt 3:9). Blessed Paul agrees with this, saying: "Not all who are of Israel are Israel, nor because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children" (Rom 9:6-7).
When the truth has thus been proven from every side, that God recognizes only kinship by morality and conduct, boasting in holy and good ancestors is already shown to be vain when their virtue is lacking and wholly absent in their descendants. Therefore with complete reason the Lord says to the Jews: "I know that you are Abraham's seed, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you."
Yes, He says, when I look only at the flesh and reason from where the Jewish people sprang, then I see that you have appeared from the seed of Abraham. But if I attend to the beauty of his life and morality, I behold you as strangers to him and no longer his kin. For "you seek to kill Me," while the forefather of whom you think so highly was not a murderer. What is worst and most lawless is that you persecute Me on no valid grounds, but desire to kill Me in complete injustice.
Only "because My word has no place in you" have you resolved to destroy Me, although it calls you to life and salvation. It "has no place in you" because of the sin dwelling in you, which, as it were, leaves no room for good counsels and exhortations.
Therefore the Jews are murderers and, at the same time, unrighteous judges. They decreed the death penalty for Him who had done no wrong, but on the contrary could help and sought to save them. How, then, could those who so far fell short of Abraham's virtues and were so far removed from character like his be kin to righteous and good Abraham? As everyone must admit, vice stands that far from virtue.
THEOSIS